


Fire and the Flood

by orphan_account



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Minor Ell/Carmilla Karnstein, Minor Laura Hollis/Danny Lawrence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-13 17:37:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4530981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura Hollis is in the middle of her freshman orientation at Silas University when former Silas student and current rising music star, Carmilla Karnstein, puts on a concert for the orientation with a bit of a twist. Hollence at the beginning. Hollstein is endgame, as always.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. College is... Something

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the characters or anything else. We have UbyKotex and Smokebomb to thank for those gems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I have taken the liberty to change the setting to the US. I love the story being set in Austria but the truth of the matter is that I know next to nothing about Austria. I have experienced and understand college life in America. So I’m going to stick with the age-old writing advice of WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.
> 
> Updates will come once a week.

In all honesty, Laura was excited. She was thrilled. Exhilarated, even! WOOO! COLLEGE! She couldn't wait to become best friends with her  roommate, to explore the campus, and to get involved in  the newspaper and school news channel. She was shaking in her size 5 flats from all the plans she had swarming around in her mind. And each tremble was absolutely, positively from excited jitters.

At least, that’s what she told her father before he hugged her goodbye, climbed into his rusty truck, and drove away. And it is what she kept telling herself for the next three hours as she meticulously made her bed and aligned her dream catcher and family photos. Her thumbs pressed against the bottom corners of the single framfeaturing a photograph of her family before her mother had left when she was seven. . She fiddled with it, her fingers shaky in their attempt to make the photo perfectly level on the wall. The trembling made it impossible for precise alignment.

Laura's cheeks puffed out and she released a heavy sigh before letting her body plop onto the bed. She was a big fat liar. Well, it would be more accurate to call her a tiny gay liar. But her lies were as big and fat as the universe binging on girl scout cookies, which she thought sounded great right now. . But admitting that her happiness and sense of excitement was completely false would only make things worse. Counting the number of people in her general vicinity that she felt comfortable talking to shrank 100% in the last six hours. Thinking of this would only result in her blubbering up and exploding with tears and snot. No, she couldn’t admit that the shaking originated from terror. She had to be brave. There was no one here to save her anymore, no father to protect her.  She had to be the hero of her own story. So, no, this was definitely not fear that she locked her knuckles. And her hands were definitely not clammy with the desire to flee. No. In truth, they were actually overwhelmed with all the possibilities and opportunities and simply couldn’t wait to grab ahold of them. That's definitely why they couldn't manage to hold onto anything for longer than a heartbeat. A very rapid and fleeting heartbeat, one might feel the need to point out.

Laura gave up on the decorating and exploring. Instead, she decided to dive into the extremely mature realm of ESCAPISM! So abandoning all hope for being productive in her attempts to be DIY-savvy, she pulled her laptop, charger, ethernet cable, and an unopened package of fudge stripes from her backpack. Once her media throne was all set up, she settled into her desk chair, her yellow pillow clutched in her arms.

"The essentials," she muttered through a mouthful of deliciousness. The camera clicks from Scandal drowned out the sounds of other freshmen moving in. As the show opened up to Fitz yet again grabbing Olivia and kissing the crap out of her, Laura found herself settling into the familiarity of her immediate surroundings. Sure, the bed across the room may be empty and incomplete with Betty not arriving until tomorrow. And no, she wouldn't be able to figure her way to the bathroom blind when she inevitably woke up in the middle of the night with a bladder screaming at her for the amount of grape soda she had yet to consume. Maybe everything about the room was different. But she did have her laptop with its familiar stickers and the friendly taste of artificial chocolate in her mouth. And for now, that was enough to make her able to push away to looming fear. I MEAN, EXCITEMENT!

As the afternoon fadedinto evening, Laura pretended she didn't notice the time on the clock when really she acknowledge each and every tick of the second hand. She didn’t think she could handle anymore new things for the day.  After all, she had moved in today, that was, enough immersive therapy for one day. She could challenge herself to the dining hall tomorrow, with Betty.

She knew in the back of her mind that she relied too heavily on Betty's arrival  tomorrow. Afterall, the two had only exchanged a handful of emails over the summer. Laura was to bring the mini fridge. And Betty would supply the microwave. They had coordinated colors only to the extent of agreeing to stick to a warm color scheme. But that small bit of interaction was more than she had with anyone else at Silas University thus far. Orientation swarays were not scheduled to start until the next day . So she had one night to herself, to be a hermit and pretend none of this was happening..

* * *

 "Carmilla, you agreed to this months ago. You cannot back out the night before!" Will's hands were on his hips as he stared down his sister. "You will look ungrateful and cold."

"Is that the only reason you can come up with? Isn't this the image Mother has worked oh so hard to create for me?" Carmilla replied, tugging at a rip in her jeans.

"You need to actually perform in order for that image to have any effect on your career."

Carmilla continued to look down at her lap. Will sighed. He knew he would have his desired outcome from the argument. But despite his win, he knew it was no reason to celebrate. She had simply conceded. She did not care enough to continue the argument any further. For if she had, he surely would have lost. After all, he was the last ditch effort for her manager. She had fought them all off with her snide remarks, biting nicknames, and loathsome side-eye glances. It's not like he could quit too, she was his sister after all.

"Fine, obviously I'll do it. But I'm gonna do it my way," she stood up and walked into her bedroom, the door clicking shut behind her. Will shook his head and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He’d betterlet their mother know now about the potential apocalypse scheduled for tomorrow evening at 5 pm. She would no doubt dumb a plan for interference on him at the last second.

While Will pulled roughly at his cropped hair and dialed their mother’s number, Carmilla sat on the floor next to the immaculately made bed. The crisp white comforter heavily contrasted with her all black attire. She leaned against the side of the bed and picked up the stack of articles that Will had given her earlier. Studying the most recent articles and discoveries about her was part of her daily homework, assigned to her by her mother through Will. Her mother was obsessed with image. She knew how to twist words, crises, and scandals in order to make the revelation appear endearing. She could out-politic Olivia Pope in a heartbeat. Olivia Pope was restricted by her morals. Lilith, had no such boundaries to her power.

The latest headline read “CARMILLA KARNSTEIN AT IT AGAIN” with a picture underneath featuring Carmilla with her face downcast as she walked a few feet away from a leggy blonde. Carmilla shook her head at the photo. She studied the background, trying to decipher where and when the photo had been taken. The face of the girl walking with her was not familiar at all. And the angle of the photo gave her no more hints aside from her physique, which she had to admit was quite pleasing to the eye. Without a doubt, her mother had planted a paparazzi to snap a photo at the perfect moment. If she hadn’t, one of her interns must be a graphic design major because the manipulation of the photo was unbelievable. No loose threads were visible to the naked eye, especially not on the tabloid paper.

She gritted her teeth together and smashed the paper into a ball in between her palms. Underneath the tabloid was an article that had been torn from a magazine. This headline posed the life-changing question: “IS THERE A NEW VAMPIRE POP SENSATION?” The subheading of the article read: “Carmilla Karnstein IS ‘Bad Blood’ in Taylor Swift’s Video.” There was a half page spread of photos with Carmilla in a dark Victorian house, wearing a deep red satin gown. Five photos showed her in different poses. The first showed her ripping a copy of Twilight in half at the spine. She didn’t even bother to give the other photos a glance. She remembered the photo shoot quite vividly and did not need any further reminder.

The photographer had spoken to her as if he’d been the only playing a vampire and  wanted to sink his teeth into her veins that instant. She spent the whole shoot holding back a cringe and a right hook. The looks of disinterest and apathy in the photos were not one bit faked.

The article was a review and half-assed analysis of the video with a very stereotypically chick-lit feel to it. Will had read the opening few sentences before handing the stack off to her earlier that morning. But her attention was anywhere but on what he was saying as it usually was. She loved her brother. She loved him to the end of the world, into an angler-fish guarded canyon, and back. That would never change nor falter in the slightest. The only reason she was hesitant to listen to him, talk to him, or otherwise interact with him was due to the effect their “mother” had on him.

She’d always been interested in Carmilla strictly for her talent, her allure, and her face. Since the day they’d met and through the entire adoption process, Lilith never hesitated to flaunt Carmilla off as her prized possession. Well, in public at least. Out of the view of anyone but Will, Lilith spoke to Carmilla solely in orders, harsh criticism, and punishments. Will was the opposite: often ignored in public, he was adored in their home. He was afraid. He was submissive. He was smart. He played the politics right back to her. But he played them so well it stopped being a game and a strategy for survival and turned into his standard way of being. So their relationship developed from there. Carmilla was the runt. Will was the prodigal prince. And Lilith was one part queen, one part dictator, and one part private law enforcement.

Will never betrayed Carmilla. He did not reveal her secrets or rat her out when she confessed something to him. His opposition towards her was based more on an inadequacy. A lack of trying. A lack of loyalty. A lack of protectiveness. A lack of anything once their mother was around. She didn’t blame him. He didn’t get her into more trouble in order to better to his own cause, much to their mother’s dismay. Instead, he simply played neutral and took no side, which was basically the same as picking Lilith’s side anyway. If you’re not with me, you’re against me, right? Bystander effect nor whatever that psych phenomenon was.

* * *

“Perry, I don’t know what you’re so worried about. The Summers and the Zetas agreed to help out. We just have to get the Zetas a keg for their next party and the Summers just said we owe them a favor,” LaFontaine paused, their eyebrows drawing together slightly. “Okay, that could be somewhat worrisome but they did agree to not use anymore human sacrifices for their Adonis Hunt.”

Perry didn’t seem to register LaFontaine’s words at all. She fluttered around her single dorm room like a puppy. She was rambling but her words were not stringing together to make coherent sentences. On normal days, she was flighty. But this was taking it to a whole new level entirely. Laf tiptoed to the kitchenette and ducked down to pick up a bottle of seltzer.

“Hey, Per, we can clean the rug using Seltzer. I know how much you like that. Maybe it’ll help channel all this energy,” they said, holding the bottle as if displaying a prized bottle of wine.

“I don’t know what you think this is,” Perry said through clenched teeth. She had stopped running around and stood in front of Laf with her fists tight at her sides. “Half of the orientation leaders are trapped in Islamabad! Move-in has already been bad enough without them! And orientation festivities start tomorrow!”

“Yes, Per, I know. But you’re forgetting about the Zetas an—” Laf said in a calming tone, still clutching the bottle hopefully.

“They’re all hooligans! They’re just going to threaten to kill each other and scare all of the freshman into transferring. This is going to be a disaster! The school will never hire me after graduation after this catastrophe,” her hands were in her hair now, which looked even more fiery than usual with her cheeks flushing with anger. Laf sighed and placed the bottle back on the floor. They knew how the Summers and the Zetas hated each other. Every time their members crossed paths, everyone feared for the start of World War III.

“Listen, leave it to me to wrangle in the Zetas. I’ll work with the alchemy club to try to figure out something that will calm their libidos. Just try to get the Summers to focus on recruiting the freshmeat. They want all the female-identified creatures they can get.” They saw that their words were helping to calm Perry down as she lowered her arms from clutching her curls. She breathed slowly, trying to control her anger and frustration. But she continued to stare straight ahead, not seeing anything around her. “Let’s go check on the rugrats that already moved in. Then we can sit down and figure out OL pairs.”

Perry nodded slowly and her eyes began to focus on the fruit bowl painting hanging above her school-issued and terribly uncomfortable couch. “Okay, but I need a shot,” she said in a scratchy voice.

LaFontaine’s jaw dropped and their eyes bugged out. They watched in amazement as Perry reached down and picked a bottle off the floor. Their face relaxed when they saw that the bottle she’d pick up was the bottle of seltzer. In a quick motion, Perry twisted the cap off and raised the bottle to her lips. The faint sound of bubbles could be heard as the liquid poured into her mouth. After a long drag, she put the top back on and finally made eye contact with Laf, who couldn’t help but break out into laughter.

“As a form of preemptive punishment, the pairs for orientation will be one Summer Society member with one Zeta member,” she said, reaching for her sweater that was draped over the arm of the couch.

They made their way across three floors in the Walker Building. A good chunk of the rooms were full with all the intended inhabitants. But with the students whose last names began with a letter in the last quarter of the alphabet, there were still quite a few rooms that were only partially occupied or completely empty. Perry wanted to focus more of their time on the rooms that held single students waiting for their roommates. She wanted to let the newly acquainted roommates to get to know each other without the interruption of their RA. It wasn’t time to start drug and alcohol raids yet anyway.

The first room they stopped at had a girl wearing big glasses that covered most of her face. She had a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare opened on her lap. And there were candles placed sporadically throughout the room. They were unlit though, Laf noticed. They were relieved that Perry didn’t have to put her foot down on the very first night. Tomorrow would be enough of a scare for the kids, they definitely did not need the wrath of Smokey-the-Mama-Bear-RAon their backs too.

“Hi Tiffany, we met when you first arrived this morning. I am Lola Perry, your RA. This is Susan LaFontaine. They are another RA in the building. If there’s anything you need or any questions you have, feel free to come to us,” Perry rattled off as if she had spent all summer memorizing a script. And in all honesty, she definitely had. But Laf was sworn to secrecy about that. “We both prefer to go by our last names when we are addressed. If you would like to be called anything but the name on your registration, just let us know.”

The girl looked back at them like a deer in headlights. LaFontaine smiled at Perry, forever grateful for her adding the part about their names into her spiel. It made asking to be called something other than Susan much easier. She had started telling people that back in high school when Laf initially asked their parents to call them LaFontaine. Their father had burst out laughing and said, “What do you think this is, the MLB? If I call you LaFontaine, everyone in the damn house is gonna respond!” Laf’s face had gone bright red and they avoided eye contact at all costs. Despite his thick headedness, their father realized that this was important. “Fine, fine. But I’m not calling you LaFontaine. I’ll call you Laf and you call me Big Papi, okay? Or if that’s too weird, Ortiz will work too.” He may not be understanding or 100% supportive but he did know their limits.

“Yeah, you can call me Laf. Or any other punny variation of my last name,” they said, giving Tiffany a crooked grin.

“Okay…” she replied softly. “Tiffany is fine.”

LaFontaine was getting ready to launch into a full conversation but Perry noticed the girl’s apprehension and wished her a good night while shuffling Laf out of the room.

They knockedon the next door but received no answer.

The third door opened after the first two knocks in the series that LaFontaine always did. A small girl with honey blonde hair opened the door with a bright smile.

“You’re Perry, right?” she said cheerfully. Perry noticed that the whites of her eyes were slightly red. Normally, she would suspect marijuana but her nose picked up no hints of it in the air.

“Yes, that’s me. And this is LaFontaine,” Perry said as Laura stepped aside to let them in. Perry scoped out the contents of the room. A laptop was set up on the desk and Netflix was paused on the screen. There was a Christmas mug next to it that had steam rising out of it. The bed on the right side of the room was made up with a comforter that was splashed with oranges and reds. On the wall beside the bed hung an array of family photos. Must be homesickness, then. “How are you settling in, Laura?”

Laura’s smile didn’t change at all, didn’t falter for even a second. “It’s great. I’m really just looking forward to when my roommate arrives tomorrow. We haven’t spoken much but I think we’re going to be great friends,” she rambled while wringing her hands.

“Betty Spielsdorf is your roommate, correct?” Perry asked. Laura nodded. “I spoke with her over the summer and she seems to be a very sweet young woman. I presume you will get along quite well.” Laura’s smile widened at Perry’s words.

LaFontaine took that smile as encouragement and started asking Laura about her major and her classes. They all shared their intended careers and wildest aspirations. Laura ended up making Perry and Laf some hot chocolate. And quickly the pair of RAs found themselves forgetting their concerns about the next day. Well, Laf forgot for awhile. Perry was lost in her mind, pairing the temporary orientation leaders together. She knew it'd be a crazy challenge to keep the two rivaling groups reeled in along with the unruly, new-to-freedom freshman. But this was the job she signed up for. This power and responsibility is what she craved above all else.

 


	2. Never Have I Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty moves in. Orientation beings.

Perry and LaFontaine didn’t end up leaving Laura’s room until after 11. After they left, Laura decided to take a shower and organize her toiletries before Betty came tomorrow. She wasn’t necessarily worried about co-existing with this stranger. She’s not a control freak or anything like that! She just wanted to have her space organized so that there were some sort of boundaries and an idea of personal space.

She gathered the bag overflowing with her various lotions and products, grabbed her towel off the back of her desk chair, and went into the bathroom. She was carefully arranging her set of Bath and Body Works lotions when she realized that she was humming to herself and no longer felt as if the world was opening up beneath her and swallowing her whole. Laura was amazed at how comfortable she felt with the Perry and Laf. She already felt relief and more confident that she now had people she could go to if she ever had trouble and needed help, or even just a friend to talk to. The interaction changed her mood completely.

Laura turned on the shower once she’d finished perfecting her side of the sink. She took a few minutes to pluck her eyebrows and clean up her nails while she waited for the water to heat up. Before stepping into the steaming water, she picked up her phone and scrolled through her playlist to put some music on. As she stepped in, the warmth of the water hitting her flesh cleared her mind completely of the thoughts that had been plaguing her earlier in the day.

For the first time since arriving, she believed she could do this. She could get through it. As long as she only took it an hour at a time, it was more than possible. There’s no point to trying to tackle her whole four years all at once. After making the decision to take things slowly with herself, she relaxed even more and started to hum to the song playing. It was a hit from a pop star who used to attend Silas University a few years ago, Carmilla Karnstein. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the guitar riffs and soothing vocals while lathering her long hair with honeysuckle conditioner. As she was rinsing the conditioner from her hair, she found herself lost in the beautiful voice. Her mind began to wander.

She visualized herself in her first classes of college, raising her hand and starting off to a great start. She tried to brainstorm for the possible interesting facts she could tell people about herself. She didn’t have a dog. Her mother wasn’t a good ice breaker, that’s for sure. Her father was over-protective but no one really needed to know that. It would just paint her as a goody-goody and she’d have a hard time fitting in with the lifestyle that took full advantage of newly found freedom. She wanted to at least get a taste of corruption before allowing her true nature to take over and drag her back to her room with her strong female role models and constant scanning of various news websites for new stories. She hoped Betty would be one to help drag her out of her shell. After all, it was clear at this point that she could easily go to Perry and LaFontaine when she’d had enough of the drinking and partying.

She was imagining herself dancing and flirting with a faceless girl when she felt the temperature of the water drop suddenly. She sighed and felt a pang of sadness from thinking about the endless supply of hot water she had at home. It quickly went from simply not hot to icy cold in a matter of seconds. Laura jumped away from the stream. She leaned, careful to avoid the water, and twisted the knob on the shower. She squeezed the excess water out of her hair and went about her nightly routine, only somewhat thrown off by the change in environment.

Her dreams were a bit crazier than normal. She must have ingested a bit more sugar than she usually did. She dreamed of a black panther diving to the bottom of the ocean and returning with a large sword. Just as the panther was about to break the surface of the water, voices permeated into her dream.

“Oh, look sweetie! I think this is it!” a shrill voice called out. Laura blinked at the bright light coming in through the window. She was reaching for her phone when she heard a key struggling in the lock on the door. “Frank, can you give this a try? I can’t seem to get it to work!”

Laura jumped up and picked up the bear spray her father had made her keep by her bed at all times. She heard a grunt and more fiddling with a key and then a defeated sigh.

“Your roommate moved in yesterday, right Betty?” a man’s voice said.

“Yeah, Dad. Let me see if she’s there.” That must have been Betty. There was shuffling outside the door and then a quick knock. Laura tucked the bear spray under her pillow, pushing down the slight fear that it would spray her pillow, and leapt off the bed. She flicked the door unlocked and pulled it open to reveal three very blonde individuals.

“Are you Laura?” the girl in front asked as she hoisted the strap of her bag higher onto her shoulder.

“Yes! You must be Betty!” Laura said, a wide smile taking over her face. She didn’t hesitate to lean forward and pull Betty into her arms. She practically vibrated with excitement. Betty let out a laugh.

“Girls, I’d hate to break up the greeting but do you think we can do this after moving Betty in?” the man said, struggling to hold onto the four large tote bags in his hands.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Let me help you with those, Mr. Spielsdorf.” Laura reached for the bags in Betty’s father’s hands and took half the load. She carried them into their room without showing any signs of how much they weight. And they weighed a lot, this girl came with a lot of hair care products. And don’t even mention the shoes to her father.

Laura helped Betty move in all of her stuff and left the room to wander the campus while her parents helped her unpack. She didn’t want to intrude on their goodbye. She knew how hard it could be. So she put on a pair of jeans and a loose shirt and went outside. Silas’s campus was located in a suburb outside of a decently sized city. Downtown was no more than a ten minute drive away. Laura knew she would be taking many trips there in the future and decided to instead focus on the school’s campus itself. She found the rooms for her seminar classes and the lecture hall for her literature course. The school was clearly not focused on having the insides of their buildings be aesthetically pleasing. They had a basic setup and clearly favored functionality over looks.

After finding her classrooms, she wandered aimlessly around the campus, wondering when she should return to the room. It was about 11 when her stomach growled and she decided that two hours of family time was generous enough. She rolled the sleeves of her sweatshirt up and began to make her way back to the room, slowly though to give them as much time as her stomach could stand.

Carmilla was sitting on the balcony of her hotel suite preparing for the concert the following evening. She had her laptop in front of her and was strumming away softly on her guitar. It had been a few days since she’d played so the callouses on her fingers softened a bit. She stopped playing abruptly and put the guitar down so that it leaned against the arm of her chair. She pulled a notebook forward and crossed something out violently. Eleventh song and no luck at all. Nothing that would work well enough to both defy her mother but allow her to keep some shred of dignity.

She’d eliminated all pop hits from the last three years. She couldn’t stand the music that was on the top 40 charts. Sometimes, she even hated her own songs that made the list. It wasn’t a pretentious kind of hatred. They just wormed their way into her brain and latched onto her every waking thought, making it impossible for her to concentrate on writing her own songs.

She knew she could get away with a Beatles song. But that wouldn’t upset her mother enough. She did not have the voice for screaming so heavy metal was out as well. And as good as she was with her mouth, her tongue didn’t have the right kind of dexterity needed for a Nicki Minaj cover.

She shoved the notebook away and picked her guitar back up. Her fingers landed automatically on the chords for the first song she’d ever written, Open Veins. It was a soft melody that opened up for some intense jamming during the chorus. As she plucked at the chords and hummed softly, she began to get an idea. And despite it being a great idea, it was an idea that she hated.

As she brought the song to a close, she heard a firm clap behind her. Having been lost in her thoughts, Carmilla hadn’t heard the door to the balcony slide open. She tilted her head back enough to see a face. Will.

“What do you want?” she snapped.

“I don’t think that’s anyway to speak to your brother, kitty.” She didn’t bother responding. Instead, she kept her fingers moving and let the melody loop around. “Fine, fine. I just wanted to check to see how your setlist is coming along. I want to get it to the band before lunch.”

“Give me another hour,” she said, her eyes closed. And then she added, as if it was an afterthought, “brother.”

“An hour’s all I can give you. Have it done by noon.”

She held her breath until she heard his footsteps turn back towards the suite and the sliding glass door slide shut behind him. She eased the guitar back to the ground again. Pulling her laptop closer, she jotted another potential song down onto the notebook and told herself to shake him off.

The tension in the room was palpable as Perry took a calming breath that only made her more anxious. The room was clearly divided in half. To any outsider, it would have seemed to be a battle of the sexes. But that was only the most basic understanding of the rivalry and hatred between these two groups. A semester long course would not be enough time to cover the history between them.

“Please stop fighting for ten minutes!” Perry called out, trying to reel their attention back in. When they were sufficiently quiet, she continued. “First, I want to thank you for agreeing to help us with orientation this week. You each have named your price and we will happily provide it for you once the rest of our orientation leaders return.”

LaFontaine was walking up and down the side of the room, watching to see if there were any delinquents trying to start trouble.

“It is vital for you all to put aside your differences for these few days. The freshmen are intimidated enough. For many of them, it is their first time away from home. It is not the time to instill the fear of a centuries old rivalry. This will also not be the time to socialize with your fellow members. You will not exclude the new students in any way at all. If a single member fails to follow these rules, your entire group will lose what we have agreed to pay you.”

The Zeta’s side of the room started whispering to each other. Everyone in the room could hear one word repeated: beer.

“These are simple rules and therefore, the punishment is fair. This is non-negotiable.”

“We are here to help the little hotties, ma’am!” a boy with a buzz cut called out from the back of the room.

“Your objectification of women is disgusting!” A Summer Society member in the front shouted back, jumping to her feet. Her hair was curly and wilder than Perry’s. She then turned to Perry and said, “We have enough members for this. I know you don’t want the likes of them corrupting these young minds!”

Her call to action were stronger than pulling the pin out of a grenade. As soon as the Zeta’s registered her words, they leapt to their feet in an uproar of deep voices and waving arms. Perry closed her eyes. She knew this was going to happen at some point. Hopefully they’d be able to get it out of the way now. And the rest of the orientation would run more or less smoothly. LaFontaine walked over to stand next to Perry. They’d both agreed beforehand that when this happened, they would wait a few minutes. The excitement and tension of working with sworn enemies was bound to build to a breaking point. They decided it would be better to let them blow some smoke out of their asses before attempting to be civil.

While Perry and Laf were playing the role of patient babysitter, Laura was thrilled that Betty had arrived. She was more free spirited than Laura could ever be. She was exploring the clothes her mother had put away in the wardrobe for her. She was planning her outfits for the first week of classes. They were full of tight fitting skirts and jeans with brightly colored and sparkling tops. Laura was amazed at how much of her personality shone through her clothes.

“I hear there’s a party at the Zeta house in a few days. You’re going right?” Betty said as she held a top up to her chest and looked in the mirror. She made a face and tossed it behind her so it landed haphazardly on her bed.

“How do you even know about that? You’ve been on campus all of ten minutes, Betty!”

“I have my ways,” she turned over her shoulder and threw a wink at Laura. Laura rolled her eyes and scrolled through the New York Times home page. She clicked through a few links and found herself on the twitter of a reporter in the field in the middle of a riot in Baltimore.

“Hello? Earth to Laura,” Betty was saying in a sing-song voice.

“What? Sorry, I was reading something.”

“You never answered me about the party. You’re going right? You’re definitely going.”

Laura paused. This was an opportunity that her ideal self would jump into headfirst without a second thought. But her true self was hesitant. Yes, she’d be going with Betty and they were roommates. But that didn’t mean she was exactly trustworthy in a chaotic environment like that.

“I don’t know yet,” she said, sighing.

“I’m going to take that as a yes.”

Laura took it more as a no but she wasn’t going to tell Betty that yet.

It took twenty minutes for the Zetas and Summers to calm down enough to listen to Perry. But when they finally did, Perry didn’t waste any more time before dividing them up into the pairs they would be working with for the remainder of orientation. Kirsch, the buzz cutted boy from earlier had the pleasure of being paired with Danny Lawrence. Danny was the favorite for next year’s Summer Society presidential candidate. her hatred for the Zetas ran as deep as the rivalry itself. Kirsch, on the other hand, was casual and didn’t feel much hate towards anyone. In fact, he was excited for the project.

“Okay, we gotta plan some super dope costumes to impress the noobs.” His hands were clasped together in front of him and his eyes were wide open with the excitement that fizzled through his veins. “Here’s what I’m thinking. I’ll be Superman and you can be Lois Lane.”

Danny scoffed. “If anything, I would be Wonder Woman. Nice try, buzz cut.”

“Fine, what abouuuuut…” he trailed off. “Oh, I know! Peeta and Katniss from The Hunger Games!” He bounced up and down with the sheer brilliance of his idea.

Danny sighed, knowing that he wouldn’t give this up easily. “Fine, but no pretending we actually are the characters.”

“What, Summer Psycho isn’t into role playing?” Kirsch smirked and crossed his arms.

“Grow up,” Danny snapped before walking away to talk to Perry about the game plan for the next day.

Laura woke up before Betty the next morning. The blonde sleeping across from her had an arm and a leg hanging off the edge of the bed. She was laying on her stomach and her face seemed to be pressed against the pillow. Laura paused and hoped that she wouldn’t end up suffocating. She grabbed a light sweater and dark jeans from the drawers beneath her bed and headed into the bathroom to shower.

Her stomach was full of jitters in anticipation. She knew she would be fine meeting new people, she was fairly easy to get along with. But she was scared because she didn’t know what else to expect from the orientation. All she knew was to be in the courtyard by 10am. Just to be safe, she left her room at 8:36.

When she got down to the courtyard she saw Perry and LaFontaine setting up name tags on a couple of card tables. She made a move to go say hi but then decided against it. She didn’t want to distract them from doing the job they had both been clearly stressed about the other night. She continues walking past, keeping her head down so her new friends don’t notice her and wonder why she’s ignoring them. A few minutes later she found herself at a diner that’s just off campus. Laura went inside and decided to treat herself to some pancakes.

At 9:45, Laura took her last bite of M&M pancakes and tossed a few bills on the table to cover the tip before sliding out of her single booth and making her way back to the courtyard.

The crowd had multiplied since she’d walked by only an hour before. There were two groups clearly divided despite the fact that they all wore identical pale blue shirts. The first group, made up of only males, were in an unorganized crowd and bouncing off one another. The other group, the girls, were standing in small circles. There was a large crowd of what Laura assumed to be students standing away from both groups. Some were talking to each other, but others stood stationary and alone doing their best to not look lonely. Laura spotted a familiar blonde head in the middle of a group that was interacting with one another. She took a deep breath and set off across the grass to try to slip into the group. Halfway there, the breath of courage she’d just taken leaked out of her lungs and she turned towards the table with the name tags instead.

“Hey, frosh!” LaFontaine called to Laura. They were trying to reassure Perry that things would go smoothly, although they didn’t believe it themselves.

“Hey, Laf! You guys feeling any better about orientation?”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be great,” Laf replied, before mouthing “no” to Laura so Perry wouldn’t know.

Laura laughed softly and said, “Well, that’s good to hear!” Laf threw her a wink and snatched a nametag off the table.

“Here you go, Hollis,” they said, handing it to Laura and patting her on the shoulder. Laura nodded her thanks before walking hesitantly over to the crowd of other freshmen waiting for the orientation to start.

Luckily, she did not have to stand alone for long because Perry began calling out the names for their groups. She cracked her knuckles repeatedly while waiting for her name to be called. When it was, Betty waved to her excitedly and blew her a kiss. Laura beamed, happy to have proof of another bond with someone.

She walked towards her group. She didn’t recognize any of the other freshmen, nor the two extremely tall people who were her group’s leaders. The first was a guy dressed in dark jeans and a v-neck t-shirt. If it weren’t for his wide eyes and huge grin, Laura would have rolled her eyes. He looked like a typical frat guy, a fuckboy. But she something about the look on his face sent a pang to her heart. She smiled softly at him and decided to give him a chance. If he tried to pull anything, she always had her bear spray.

The other group leader was a tall redhead with bright blue eyes. Her smile was casual and she caught Laura’s eye as she took her in. She wore high-waisted jeans which accentuated her long legs. Laura felt her hormones take over and a switch flicked in her brain as she stared at her legs. She wouldn’t mind getting between them.

“Laura, right?” the girl said, sticking her hand out. Laura blinked away the thoughts that were running away with her.

“That’s what my name tag says!” she squeaked.

The girl laughed and said, “I’m Danny. This beefcake is Kirsch.” Her hand was still outstretched between them. Laura swallowed hard and reached out to shake Danny’s hand. When their skin touched, she felt a chill go up her spine. Danny’s hand was warm and soft. She squeezed firmly but didn’t hurt Laura at all. Her fingers were so long they could almost wrap around Laura entire hand. Again, her thoughts were distracted.

With the train of thoughts going through Laura’s mind, she felt her face flush slightly and knew it’d be a matter of seconds before the hand Danny was clasping would be clammy. She pulled her hand back with a smile to not offend the tall drink of water in front of her. Seriously, have you seen her legs?

The nerves of this morning pulled back their sharp claws and faded into butterflies that bounced off the inner lining of her stomach every time she risked a glance at Danny. She smiled to the other freshmen in the group, but kept Danny in her view at all times. Kirsch was talking to the guys in the group about the Zetas. It was clear how comfortable he felt in his own skin. He talked with his full body, his face constantly changing expressions and his hands flying all over the place. It was like watching a show. Danny rolled her eyes every now and then when his voice raised above the noise of the surrounding chatter. She was speaking to the girls in the group about something that must have involved archery because she kept making a movement that looked like she was holding a bow and arrow.

“Laura, you like sports?” she called out, having noticed that Laura wasn’t involved in any of the ongoing conversations in the group.

“Sports? Yeah! I love sports,” she replied. “Sports are great. I love the teamwork and the camaraderie. It’s all so awesome…” She trailed off and Danny smiled at her.

“Well, I don’t want to bore you then. How about we play a little game today, ladies? Let’s count every time the beefcake says ‘bro.’ I’ve got a bet with some girls. We wanna find out who the biggest fuckboy is out of all the Zetas,” she had a crooked smile and flashed her eyes from one girl to the next. She had a way of looking at you as if you were the only one there, the only one she wanted to talk to. And it didn’t matter that she was talking to the whole group, Laura felt as if she was speaking to her and her alone.

The girls all laughed, some rather nervously, at Danny’s proposition. But they all agreed. They continued talking for a few minutes until the rest of the freshmen were divided into their groups.

“Okay, OLs,” Perry shouted, clasping a binder as if her life depended on it. “You each have the activity options. I’d like each group to spread out. Get to know each other. You have two hours!”

As soon as Perry stopped speaking, all of the Zetas started shouting and jumping wildly. It was like being in the locker room of a football team. Laura figured that Perry could have told them that one of the activities was waterboarding and they would still be cheering and chanting like crazy.

Danny led the group behind a building that had Lustig Building over the front entrance. Kirsch hung back to chat with the boys as they walked. He seemed to be talking to an empty audience though. One boy slouched a few steps behind Kirsch and kept his head turned down towards his feet. The other two boys were walking together and deep in conversation. There were hand touches and nudges that Laura noticed immediately. She glanced at Danny and decided to quicken her pace to catch up to her. Before she could reach her, Danny stopped taking her obnoxiously long strides and plopped down on the grass. She opened the folder she’d been holding as she waited for everyone else to take a seat. The group arranged themselves into a circle and waited for instructions.

“Alright, it’s icebreaker time, guys!” Danny said. She heard a few groans from different parts of the circle. She didn’t know why. Icebreaker games were the best way to get to know someone and to eliminate the initial awkwardness. Plus, she already had a few interesting facts about herself ready to say. “Relax, guys. We’re not going to be grading you. We’re not the admissions board. Does anyone want to start?”

“I will!” Laura said, straightening her back and shooting her hand into the air. “My name is Laura Hollis. I’m a journalism major from Connecticut. And I know Krav Maga.” She finished her brief introduction with a firm nod and a smile.

“Krav Maga, now that’s impressive!” Danny replied. “I think I made it to a orange belt in karate when I was seven. But then I got really into softball and had to give it up. I wish I’d stuck with it.”

“You’re very athletic, I’m sure you’d be able to pick it up very easily! I could hel—” Laura said, leaning forward.

 

“Orange? Bro! Damn, Psyc—Summer Society! I made it to my green belt!” Kirsch said with a satisfied smile. Laura sighed as Danny released her from her intense gaze.

“Congratulations. And thank you for sharing,” the redhead replied with a blank look on her face. “Who wants to go next?”

They went around the circle. There was a PoliSci major, a math major, a music major. None of them had interesting interesting facts. The only two that piqued Laura’s interest were the two boys who had been walking together. They were sitting next to each other, so close that their knees were touching. Laura wondered if something might be going on there, but did her best not to intrude.

Laura was excited to learn that Danny was pursuing a double major in physical therapy and English. She hoped maybe they could bond over their love for the written word. Her mind began wandering, in a more PG direction this time, when Kirsch yanked her from her thoughts with his excited yelling about his grandfather being the founder of the Zetas.

“I’m like Zeta royalty, bro.”

“Ah, yes the prodigal prince,” Danny deadpanned. Laura bit her lip to keep from laughing. “I’ve never met royalty before.”

“Oh, bro! That’s a great idea!”

“No, you are not creating an event in your honor, Kirsch.”

“Nahhhh— Wait, that’s a great idea! I gotta bring that up to the guys! But we should play Never Have I Ever. Enough of this boring crap. That game is the bomb!”  
Diana, the math major, immediately agreed to play and said she thought it was a great idea. Kirsch shot her a wide grin and she sighed. Somehow they all ended up to agreeing to play. Danny protested for awhile before the rest of the group begged her to join and she conceded.

Kirsch started off and said, “Never have I ever been a Summer Psycho.” Danny clapped and put a finger down.

Diana went next, keeping her eye on Kirsch. “Never have I ever had a threesome.” No one clapped.

“Never have I ever been with a girl,” said Matt, the boy who was sitting suspiciously close to the other boy. He glanced quickly at the boy next to him, Jason, before averting his eyes. Kirsch and another boy, George, immediately clapped and each put down a finger.

“What do you mean by ‘been with’?” Danny asked.

“Yeah, like dated or slept with?” Laura chimed in, her heart beating rapidly after hearing Danny’s question. Danny glanced at Laura quickly before looking back at Matt.

“Dated.” Laura clapped and put a finger down. Danny smiled and kept all of her fingers up.

Another girl was about to go when Kirsch shouted out, “Wait just a second!”

“What?” Danny said.

“I wanna go!” he said.

“You literally just had a turn, Kirsch.”

“I don’t care! Never have I ever slept with a girl.”

“You sure, buddy?” Danny said with a smirk. Diana’s eyes were wide.

“Shit, wait. No! Fuck,” he shook his head. “Laura! You say it!”

“Wait, what makes you think I haven’t?” Laura spluttered.

“You did ask for a clarification,” Diana said, the shock completely wiped off her face. Laura sighed and nodded.

“Fine. Never have I ever had sex with a girl,” she said, keeping her gaze on the grass in front of her. There were three claps around the circle. Laura didn’t look up to see who had put a finger down.

“Shit, Summer Society!” Kirsch said. “Story time! You gotta tell us everything.”

Laura’s head shot up and she saw Danny shoot him a look. “That’s a story you will never hear from me, Kirsch. We aren’t bros.”

“Damn, what goes on in that Summer Psycho house? The only thing that could make this better is beer! This is crazy.” Kirsch said loudly just as Laura saw Perry walking up behind him and her eyes went wide.

“What did you just say, Wilson?” she said, stopping right behind him and crossing her arms.

“Oh, hey Perry! We were just playing Never Have I Ever. You wanna join?”

“No, I would not. But I would like to remind you that these students are all under the legal age to drink. And your fraternity knows the punishment for giving a minor alcohol.”

Kirsch’s eyes went wide.

“Yes, ma’am.”

That marked the end of their game. Laura was glad it lasted as long as it did. She learned that maybe she would have a shot with Danny. She nodded to herself confidently as she decided to up her flirting game while she still had the chance. Despite having a bit more confidence, she was feeling more wary as well. Learning that Danny had had sex with a girl but never dated one made Laura worry that it was just the old college experimentation. Or that Danny might not be the one for dating. And then there was Laura’s lack of experience with anything other than kissing… If she was honest, she was terrified. But maybe throwing yourself into terrifying situations is what life is all about. That’s the only way you learn and grow as a person. That’s the only way to form meaningful bonds with people.


	3. Late Night Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The president of the college introduces Carmilla to the concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait! I'm preparing to move back to Boston for the start of a new semester and life suddenly became crazy! I'm going to try to post the next chapter before the end of next week. But please be patient with me. I also apologize for how slowly this story seems to be moving. Trust me, chapter 4 will have all the Hollstein interaction you've been dying for.

Shortly after Perry interrupted the game of Never Have I Ever, the orientation groups dispersed to allow the students some more time to get to know the campus. Perry was torn between being relieved and being frustrated at the results of the first meeting. The Summers and Zetas seemed somewhat able to keep their obnoxious rivalry on the back burner. Some pairs let it come to a simmer, but nothing really boiled over. There were quite a few groups where the orientation leaders had begun ignoring the freshmen so that they could target each other in a battle of—whatever it is that they deemed superior. Wits? No. Strength? No. Hotness? No. Stupidity? Probably.

She sighed and watched as the freshmen all trickled out of the courtyard and the Summers and Zetas started to form their distinctly separate groups yet again. She sighed as she watched them, knowing it was futile to hope that this might make progress in mending the rift between them. She couldn’t help but hope. Each group contained unique and societally valuable individuals. Surely more than a few friendships would blossom if they would stop being so darned thickheaded. But for now, she knew she had to focus on the freshmen. Their friendships were more important for the time being. After all, it would determine their success in the next four years at Silas.

“Thank you for your efforts today! I have a great feeling about the remainder of this orientation! Take the rest of the day. Have some fun. And please, please, please, do not get into any trouble. Remember, you are role models to these youngsters,” Perry called out. She swallowed a smile when Laf murmured that the freshmen were doomed if these crazies were their role models.

She kept a firm face with a small smile as they started to walk away in their groups. Laf looked at her expectantly. “Per, what are you doing? You look weird.” They started examining her face as if some sort of mutation had suddenly occurred. Perry didn’t flinch or even blink until the last of the stragglers began to fade away.

“I think that went as well as could be expected.”

“What? Per, that went great! I didn’t know they could pull it off. But they did. I mean there was that one moment when some of the Zetas started chanting for beer. But besides that, it was pretty good.”

Perry just nodded and turned to clean up their set up. LaFontaine was right, it was painless for the most part.

* * *

 The next event for orientation happened the next day. It was a buffet-styled lunch for the freshmen and their orientation groups. They were instructed to find their orientation leaders and sit with their groups. Laura knew that the administration did this out of the presumption that each group would remain friends for the duration of their education at Silas, if not the rest of their lives. Laura looked around at her group. She would be glad to keep even one friend from orientation. Aside from Danny, of course. Laura had more hopes for her. But as she watched them all interact with one another, or fail to interact, she had a sinking feeling that she wouldn’t remain friends with even one of the other freshmen sitting with her.

Diana positioned herself to be next to Kirsch. Her outfit was planned strategically, down to her earrings, which caught the light every time she tossed her hair over her shoulder. Which was a lot.. She wore a low cut v-neck that seemed casual but paired with the pair of short shorts seemed a bit wishful, if not presumptuous. Regardless of what others thought, it appeared to be working. Kirsch was engaged in a conversation with her while they sat and waited for the moment when they could mob the food trays. Laura wondered if Diana had it figured out. She certainly knew what she wanted. And she was anything but hesitant in her pursuit of it. Laura looked down at her outfit. She wore a denim shirt that was buttoned to the top, save for two buttons. She had on a pair of khakis, which made her look like she belonged in a suburban neighborhood driving a minivan. She sighed and twisted her fingers together in an attempt to keep herself calm.

“Ladies! Gentlemen!” Laura’s head snapped up as she heard Perry’s voice. She wore a light pink sweat and navy dress pants. Her attire made Laura feel reassured about her own choices. “If we could have your attention for a few moments, then we can let you guys eat! Our president just wants to say a few words of welcome.”

A man in a navy pinstripe suit stepped up next to Perry. Everyone around the room fell to an instant hush. His dark hair was speckled with grey that shone in the florescent lighting, much like Diana’s earrings. Laura wondered what would happen if they traded sparkly features. Would they have the same effect they have now? She saw a salt and pepper Diana trying desperately to flirt with Kirsch. And an esteemed college president wearing sparkling earrings, that were no doubt not real pearl. She smiled to herself at the image and pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Danny shoot her a questioning look. In a moment of confidence and sheer hopefulness, Laura shot a wink back to Danny. Her stomach leapt into her throat and she quickly looked back at the man looming in the center of the room.

“Good morning, students,” the man said in his deep and formal voice. He had a slight accent that gave him a stronger air of importance. Laura felt Danny’s gaze on her still but was too afraid to risk looking away from their college president. “I’d like to welcome the class of 2018! Congratulations and thank you for choosing Silas University. I am certain that our faculty will do everything in their power to ensure that you fulfill your potential during your studies here. I look forward to getting to know each of you.

“There is a mandatory assembly tomorrow morning at 8 am. Following the assembly, there will be a performance about the transition to college life put on by the Acting Committee. For now, enjoy your brunch! And the tonight’s concert by our very own former student, Carmilla Karnstein! I’ll see you all tomorrow morning,” He bowed his head, turning and shaking an eager Perry’s hand before gliding out of the room swiftly.

The room stayed silent for a long moment after he had left. But before long, a squeaky male voice called out, “Yeah, enjoy this food cause it’s all downhill from here!” The orientation leaders start laughing at the remark and Laura saw a scowl flicker across Perry’s face before disappearing quickly.

“He’s got a point, guys,” Danny said. Laura paused before looking at her. When her eyes did land on the redhead, she saw Danny was looking directly at her. She smiled softly before looking at others in the group. “Our campus food isn’t the best. So don’t get your hopes up.”

“That means there’s no risk for Freshman 15,” Diana said, glancing down at her tiny frame. Laura saw Danny roll her eyes and their gazes met again. Laura smiled shyly and turned her focus to her plate. She’d barely touched the food so far. But she knew with the concert happening later, she wouldn’t have much of a chance to eat again until late. She scooped up a forkful of eggs and let her thoughts drift to the concert.

She’d followed Carmilla Karnstein’s music for a few months now. She wasn’t an avid listener but it was hard to avoid a few of her songs that were overplayed on the radio with all of the other Top 40 hits. She’d seen a few pictures here and there but never paid much attention to them. Every time she thought of the musician, she saw a dark frame in her mind. She could never picture her face and instead grey smoke appeared in place of her facial features. As she ate and tried to recall the star’s appearance, she heard bits and pieces from other tables’ conversations, all saying that Carmilla was “hot” or “sexy” or “scary”.

When the brunch ended, she grabbed a notebook and headphones from her dorm before heading out to the courtyard to kill some time before the concert started. She listened to Carmilla’s album all the way through, knowing that if she wasn’t completely knowledgeable, she would have a hard time socializing with anyone at the concert. The woman’s soft and scratchy voice was surprisingly calming to Laura’s nerves. She felt the disgrace, the despair, and electric hope in every note the musician sang. She felt her mind rocking with the rifts as if she were floating in an ocean, letting her body rock with the waves. Before she knew it, she was lost in a daydream filled with endless landscapes of cloudy days and rocky waves. Her eyes drifted closed and she saw the water dark and endless beneath her. Though her back was resting against a tree trunk and she was only meters from her dorm, she felt impossibly far away from any traces of land. She could almost feel the silky touch of the water on her fingertips. A feeling was just out of reach, like a fish swimming past her quickly. She could feel the fins swipe gently against her skin but as soon as she noticed it, it was gone.

* * *

 Her daydream had been interrupted by Betty standing above her and casting a shadow. She opened her eyes in start and tore the headphones from her ears.

“Laura, the semester hasn’t even started yet. You can’t be that tired already!” Betty laughed and reached down to give her a hand up. “Come on, we’ve got to get going. We want to get a good spot for the concert!”

Laura stared at Betty’s hand, making no movement to reach for it. Her mind felt murky with the memory of the daydream. She wanted desperately to return to the place she was just in. But already, it was too far gone. Trying to shake the remnants of the idyllic scene from her mind, she grabbed onto Betty’s wrist and pulled herself to her feet.

Once she got to her feet, the image wipes itself completely from her mind and she’s suddenly aware of the students heading toward the back of the Lustig Building. Without releasing Laura’s hand, Betty set off and joined the crowd. As the reached the back of the building, Laura saw that they were in the same area she had been with her orientation group the day before. Instead of an open grassy field, though, there was a stage set up about a hundred meters past the building at the edge of the sparse forest. She could see a few men moving about the stage, tuning guitars and plugging in amps.

Laura stuck close to Betty as she weaved her way through the thickening crowd. Soon they arewereonly ten feet away from the stage when Betty dropped Laura’s hand and hugs a few people Laura didn’t recognize. Betty introduced her but Laura failed to remember even a single one of their names. She glanced around the crowd, desperate for Laf or Danny when Betty grabs her arm. She winked at her without a word and reaches into her purse. With a quick glance around, she pulls out a bottle of Minute Maid lemonade. She places it into Laura’s hand and pulls another one out for herself. Laura unscrews the top and takes a sip. It’s not Minute Maid, that’s for sure.

“Holy Hufflepuff, Betty! What’s in this?” Laura asked after forcing a swallow.

“It’s just Mike’s…” she said with a devious smile. “With a few extra shots of Vodka.”

Laura rolled her eyes and put the cap back on. She handed the bottle back to Betty. “Thanks, Betty but I think I’m gonna wait until after orientation to get wasted.”

“Suit yourself!” her roommate replied, taking a long drink from her bottle.

The crowd poured in steadily until it seemed that each person in the entire class were pushing into each other, eager to get the first look at the budding celebrity. Soon enough, the president stepped onto the stage. He was dressed more casually than at brunch earlier that day. He kept his pinstriped dress pants but had a sweater over his collared shirt.

“Welcome again, Class of 2018,” he yelled into a microphone. Sensing the change in atmosphere already, the entire crowd started cheering and screaming wildly in response. “I know I’m not what’s got all of you excited so I’ll keep this brief. Please no alcohol or drugs tonight. Let’s have some nice, clean fun. But if you see someone in a dangerous state, please bring them to health services. Your safety is the first priority.

“With that business out of the way, I’d like to welcome a lovely rising musician to the stage! She came to an orientation much like this one back when she was a freshman. Had she continued her education with us to the end of her degree, she would have graduated this past May. Alas, her music career took off and she decided to abandon us for more sparkling dreams. Please give her a warm welcome! We’d love to have her come back to resume her studies here…”

* * *

 Carmilla could hear the cheers of the crowd as President Pelton welcomed them. She rolled her eyes, remembering her own orientation and the way her classmates grew crazed whenever someone uttered their class year. It was a hype she never understood. Why would one cheer and celebrate about having four more years of school to continue?

She buttoned her leather pants around her waist while she listened to the president’s usual spiel. She tugged them down a bit so that they were hanging off her hips just enough to show a bit of hip bone. She checked herself in the mirror, toying with her cleavage until she was satisfied. Her phone started buzzing across the table behind her. She glanced at the screen and upon seeing who it was, smiled and reached for it.

ELL: Break a leg, sweetheart! xoxo

CARMILLA: Wish you were here xx

Carmilla put her phone down with a sigh. She wasn’t really looking forward to the aftermath of the concert. She knew Ell had wanted to speak to her. They hadn’t seen each other in two weeks and the tensions were rising steadily. Ell was pushing Carmilla to pursue every opportunity Will and the rest of her team could find for her. But all Carmilla wanted to do was take a break. She’d been going at it for two years without a day’s rest. She was either in the studio, on stage, or on a plane every day. She was growing tired of the senseless monotony of routine. Everyone always imagined that being a successful musician was some magical, surreal dream. And sure, there were moments when it was. When she was in the middle of a song and the voices of the fans melded with hers in a perfect harmony. But as for the rest of it, it was vastly overrated. She never had to think. She just had to produce and then replicate what had already been produced. Truthfully, she felt bored and understimulated. In more ways then one. Which explained the way she tugged on her clothes to ensure that they hit her body in all the right ways.

“Freshmen class of 2018, I’d like you to meet Carmilla Karnstein!” President Pelton yelled into the microphone, ditching his usual composure to engage the students.

Carmilla ran a hand through her hair hastily, picked up a stack of guitar picks and shoved them into her pocket as she jogged up the stairs to the makeshift stage. She heard the screams of the crowd get louder as she stepped onto the stage.

“Thank you for such a heartwarming introduction, Prez,” she said before reaching the mic stand. She stuck out her hand and shook his firmly. He held tightly to her hand, making piercing eye contact with her. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll talk after.” Her words seemed to satisfy him as he released her from his grip, patted her shoulder, and left the stage.

Carmilla took a moment to get a feel for her audience. They were all looking at her expectantly as she lowered the mic stand to accommodate her height. “Now that that old geezer is outta here, we can get the party started. Right guys?” she shot them a crooked grin and picked up her guitar. Screams and whistles rang out at her in agreement. Without another word, she launched into one of the first songs she’d released “Late Night Madness.” 

* * *

 Laura watched with rapt attention on the singer. She donned tight black clothing that showed off her sharp edges and slight curves. Her hair was wild and her eyes shone with the strength of the music supporting her vocals. She lit up the stage, taking over the entire atmosphere with her stark confidence and well, swagger. Laura couldn’t help but sway her hips to the beat of the song. She heard voices in the crowd around her singing along. Betty was yelling something to her but she couldn’t bring herself to tear her eyes away from the beauty on the stage not more than thirty feet away.

She was trapped in a trace created by the deep mystical brown eyes that flitted across the audience. She could see the singer make eye contact with people before shifting her gaze. Laura found herself intimidated by the sincerity in the looks that the artist gave the audience. Her skin itched with the desire to run. But the desire outweighed her fear and insecurity and she found herself immobile in her mind’s battle between fight or flight.

The music swam around her, keeping her isolated from the rest of the crowd. Her senses perceived nothing but the notes from the band and the sound of Carmilla’s voice. Before she was aware of it, the song drew to a close and Carmilla addressed the crowd directly.

“I’m gonna do things a bit differently today. I’m contracted to play some of my songs and my managers would have my head if I didn’t sing those for you. But I’d like to alternate between my songs and some covers. And to make it more of a party, we’re gonna get some of you guys up here and embarrass the shit outta you.”

There were cheers and screams of approvement from Laura’s excited classmates.

“Laura!” Betty yelled, grabbing her arm and tearing her away from the trace she was lost in. “This is so awesome!” Laura blinked repeatedly, trying to bring herself back to the present. She was relieved when she realized that Betty hadn’t realized her mental absence for the duration of the song. She opened her mouth to respond to her roommate’s excitement but found herself unable to speak. Trying to appear as normal as possible, she nodded her head vigorously and beamed at the blonde.

“Alright, alright. Who are we going to get up here first?” Carmilla called, trying to settle the crowd. Her words had the opposite effect and a crooked grin broke out across her face when she saw the crowd’s reaction.

People were jumping all around Laura, pushing her closer and closer to Betty. The last remnants of the dreamlike trance she was in dissipated in her attempt to prevent herself from being trampled. That was definitely not the way she wanted to start off her college career. She leaned close to Betty, who was downing the rest of one of the bottles she brought. Someone landed on her foot and she stumbled forward violently. As she righted herself, she felt a spray of liquid cover from behind her. She whipped around and saw Betty with her mouth wide open.

“Betty, what happened? Are you okay?” Laura shouted feverishly. She was worried she’d gotten hurt by the suddenly rowdy crowd. It took a moment for Betty to respond. In the back of her mind, Laura heard a voice rang out from the speakers.

“Come on up, cutie. I’m not used to rejection,” Carmilla said, her voice husky. Laura ignored her and touched Betty’s arm gently. Betty turned to her and the look of shock and panic on her face transformed into one of joy.

“Laura! She’s calling you! Get up there!” Betty yelled, giving Laura a push. Just as she was about to yelled back that she was sick of being shoved around, her roommate’s words registered and she noticed how the people around her were moving away and all turning to look at her. She looked up to the stage and saw those same dark eyes staring right at her.

 

 


	4. We Never Go Out of Style

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura joins Carmilla on stage for a song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took me so long again. I just moved back to Boston and my semester started. And I had a really hard time letting myself write this without it being perfect. I'm content enough with it to share. Hope you guys like it!

The cheers and buzz of the crowd quieted to whispers and then dissipated into the muggy air completely. Laura stood, staring up at the woman on the stage whose eyes were locked with hers. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see a tall head of red hair. She was able to take in a sharp breath of air. All she could see was the blur of red moving up and down slowly and a blob of white widening beneath it. The hand on her shoulder squeezed gently and Laura found herself sighing and turning back toward the stage.

She glanced up and saw those dark eyes still on her. A jolt shot up her back as she took a few steps toward the stage, through the parting in the crowd. Her tongue shot out to lick her bottom lip and she looked down at the ground beneath her feet, knowing that if she kept looking at her, she would chicken out.

She finally looked up again when she reached the bottom of the stairs. and she saw a hand outstretched towards her. Wiping her palm on her skirt, she put her hand in Carmilla's.

“There we go, cutie,” Carmilla said with a smile. Her thumb rubs the back of Laura's hand and she didn't let go.  or I could feel her hand dampening with sweat, an unpreventable reaction to this kind of attraction—attention. She loosened her grip on the musician’s hand, hoping the girl would let go before she noticed the sheen on Laura’s palm. But she didn’t. She shifted her grip and held onto Laura’s hand tighter. Together they walked to center stage. The audience was still hushed. “What are you guys so quiet for? I thought this was a party!”

The cheers started up again and Laura heard a deep voice yell, “YEAH LITTLE HOTTIE!” At the sound of his voice, Laura felt the tension relax from her shoulders. She let out a soft laugh at her orientation leader’s somewhat inappropriate enthusiasm.

“Looks like I’m not the only one who wants to eat you up, cupcake,” Carmilla said, speaking away from the microphone. Her voice was soft and had a bit of a scratch to it, making another jolt find its way up Laura’s spine. She looked at Carmilla and felt a surge of strength.

“I have a name, you know.” she said, crossing her arms and looking right into Carmilla’s deep brown eyes. Her hands clenched into fists from the effort it was taking to not swoon at the woman now directly in front of her. Her hair was perfectly tousled, falling in lazily wild waves over her shoulders. She looked at the petite woman in front of her and the corners of her mouth quirked up into a smile that she couldn’t explain. She raised an eyebrow and waited for Laura to continue. “Laura. Laura Hollis.”

“Nice to meet you, Laura. My name’s Carmilla.” she held out an open hand again. Laura scoffed at the brunette but shook her hand. “But you probably knew that.” Laura rolled her eyes at the obviously confidence. Their hands remained interlocked for a long moment with their eyes never leaving each other’s face. Carmilla dropped Laura’s hand abruptly and shifted the microphone to her other hand before reaching back for her hand. Into the microphone she spoke, “Who’s your favorite artist, Laura?”

Laura paused. The obvious answer was standing right in front of her. BUt something about the woman’s attitude made her say, “Taylor Swift.” In response, there were some cheers of approval, mostly from high pitched voices. And there were groans coming from dominantly deep voices.

“Wow,” Carmilla said, chuckling and glancing back to the crowd. “Should I be offended?”

“That’s up to you, _sweetheart_.”

Carmilla burst into a fit of laughter at Laura’s ballsiness. The audience laughed along with her and cheered for Laura.

“Okay, okay. I get it,” she said, shaking off the remainder of her laughter. “Well, how about we start with a Taylor Swift hit?”

Immediately the crowd started chanting, “BAD BLOOD! BAD BLOOD! BAD BLOOD!”

Carmilla shook her head and booed loudly into the microphone. “No! That song is so old, the blood went bad a long time ago.”

The drummer ba-dum-tssed.

“Thanks, Mattie. Anyway, I’ve got something else in mind.” She turned around to whisper to the other band members, who all nodded. Laura took a second to look at the other people on the stage. The drummer, Mattie, had dark chestnut hair and long black hair that shone in the stage lighting. There was a bassist whose blonde hair had red tips and was styled as a fauxhawk. The pianist stayed behind her electric piano and cracked her knuckles with a smile. From the way the band members responded to her request, Laura could tell they respected her and were excited for this unconventional night.

Before Carmilla had turned back to Laura, the music started and she immediately knew what song it was. She beamed at Carmilla, who slid her guitar behind her back and placed the microphone back into its stand. Leaning away from it, she said, “You have one job, Laura.”

Laura swallowed hard and nodded slowly.

“Dance.” And with that one word, she pulled the microphone to her lips and began singing.

_Midnight,_

_I come and pick you up, no headlights_  
_A long drive,_  
_Could end in burning flames or paradise_  
_Fade into view, oh, it's been awhile since I have even heard from you_

_You should just tell me to leave 'cause you_  
_Know exactly where it leads but I_  
_Watch us go 'round and 'round each time_

She takes a breath, hand in her hair again and looks at Laura before throwing herself into the chorus. Laura is dancing along to the beat, starting to feel the lead in her veins dissolve into adrenaline. She feels her body heating up and tells herself its from the movement and attention. But she can't keep her eyes off the singer whose eyes barely leave Laura's face. It's clear why she picked the song. 

_I got that James Dean daydream look in my eye_

_And you got that red lip classic thing that I like_  
_And when we go crashing down, we come back every time_  
_'Cause we never go out of style_  
_We never go out of style_

_I got that long hair, pushed back, white t-shirt_  
_And you got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt_

Laura bit her lip and danced closer to Carmilla. The singer reached out and pinched the side Laura’s skirt, pulling it towards her before letting it go with a quick flick of the wrist. The audience roared at the movement and Laura felt her cheeks flame. Her movements hitched from surprise and she sped up her movements, trying to compensate for the distraction. She hoped no one had noticed but a sly grin from Carmilla told her otherwise.

_And when we go crashing down, we come back every time_

_'Cause we never go out of style_  
_We never go out of style._

_So it goes_  
_I can't keep my wild eyes on the road_

She locked eyes with Laura and licked her lips suggestively before giving her a crooked grin. Laura's movements didn't slow as Carmilla grabbed ahold of her hand again and pulled her close until their bodies were flush against one another. Laura could feel the smooth leather on the skin of her thigh. The heat from Carmilla's own thigh was radiating through the material and caused Laura's body to shiver everywhere she didn't feel the welcomed heat.

_Take you home_

_Lights are off, I’m taking off his coat, hmm, yeah.  
You say, "I heard, oh, that you've been out and about with some other girl, some other girl."_

_I say, "What you've heard is true but I_  
_ Can't stop thinking about you," and you… _

Taking a deep breath to fuel her courage, Laura leaned even more into Carmilla and grabbed the microphone to sing the next line with her.

_you said, "I've been there, too, a few times."_

_'Cause I got that James Dean daydream look in my eye_  
_And you got that red lip classic thing that I like_  
_And when we go crashing down, we come back every time_  
_'Cause we never go out of style_  
_We never go out of style_

_I got that long hair, pushed back, white t-shirt_  
_And you got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt (tight little skirt)_  
_And when we go crashing down, we come back every time_  
_'Cause we never go out of style_  
_We never go out of style_

_Take me home_  
_Just take me home, yeah._  
_Just take me home_  
_(out of style)_

_I got that James Dean daydream look in my eye_  
_And you got that red lip classic thing that I like_  
_And when we go crashing down, we come back every time_  
_'Cause we never go out of style_  
_ We never go out of style _

“So?” Carmilla said to Laura as the music fades. Laura raised her eyebrows in response. Carmilla stands the mic up straight and leans close to Laura until her lips are right against her ear. Laura could feel her labored breathing tickling her ear. It sent shivers throughout her body. “Take me home, cutie?”

Laura smirked, eager to get back at the seemingly irresistible woman. She leaned into Carmilla, placing her mouth just as close to the musician’s ear. “You wish.” Her voice came out deeper than she anticipated and she felt Carmilla take in a sharp breath before letting out a low groan.

“You’re killing me, Hollis,” she breathed into Laura’s hair.

Laura smirked and pulled away before her resolved weakened anymore. She turned without a second glance and walked lightly down the stage stairs. She kept her gaze on the floor until she reached the bottom of the steps and scanned the crowd for her friends. When she looked up, she saw everyone's attention on her yet again. She blushed and ducked her face to shield herself with her hair. She'd taken a few steps into the attentive audience when she felt a cold hand grab her arm. The chill of the touch sent a shock through her, snapping her out of the reverie she was in. 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The concert continues. Laura and Carmilla are both struck with the intensity of their emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! And on time!  
> I seem to struggle with pacing as I tend to be long winded in everything that I write/say. So here is some more from the concert. I had a lot of fun writing this part.  
> None of the songs belong to me. They're creators are geniuses in my book. (Except the Chase Rice version of the last song will always be superior to Somo's.)

She looked up and saw Betty jumping up and down in front of her. Over Betty's shoulder, she saw a dark glance from a tall redhead. She sighed and decided her best bet was to pretend she hadn’t seen the look at all.

“Oh my God, Laura!!!” Betty screamed, still bouncing.

“I know!” Laura started bouncing with her, letting herself be overtaken with the excitement.

“She so wants you!” Betty said. “What did she say to you? At the end?”

Laura paused, feeling her face heat up yet again. She didn’t really want to share the details of the brief interaction. She knew it meant nothing in actuality, but something about it felt special. “Oh, she just thanked me and said she hoped that she was my favorite artist now.” Betty squealed and brought her still surprisingly half full bottle to her lips. Laura glanced at Danny approaching with a big smile plastered on her face and swallowed. “Betty, gimme that,” she said, taking the bottle from her roommate’s hand before the blonde could drain the rest of its contents. She brought it to her lips and grimaced as the liquid burned its way down her throat.

“Wow! Two days on campus and you’re already diving right in. Pretty ballsy, Hollis,” Danny said with a nudge to Laura. Laura smiled softly in response before turning back to Betty, who took the bottle and winked, taking her leave.

Laura looked back to Danny with a wide smile, unsure how to respond. Her smile faded as she heard Carmilla’s voice again.

“If the rest of you can live up to _that_ performance, tonight is going to be a hell of a party!” Her eyes ran across the crowd, taking them all in as she ran a hand through her hand and pulled her guitar back around her. “I think this is a perfect follow up. Sing along if you know it.” She turned back to the band and mouthed something, to which they all nodded. On Mattie’s count, they all jumped into the song together. She closed her eyes tightly as she sang about a forbidden love affair, her fingers playing the chords with an ease that came with intimate familiarity. Her mind was a jumbled mess as her voice radiated throughout the field. Never before had this song been so relevant to what she was feeling. Behind her closed eyelids, she saw waves of honey blonde hair and nervous smiles. The image she saw made her smile as the words fell from her lips in her signature scratchy tone. She couldn’t resist the images flooding her mind or the smile that blossomed across her face in response. She was the undeniable reincarnation of Eve, unable to deny herself her desires despite knowing the devastation that would ensue.

Laura, back down in the field next to Danny, danced with everyone surrounding her and lost herself in the song. She bounced around, mirroring the bodies around her and imagined the interaction she’d just had with Carmilla.

_You’re killing me, Hollis._

The words played themselves over and over in her mind, becoming part of the song the speaker was currently singing. All she knew was the low, seductive voice that surrounded her and flooded her every sensory receptor. Her blood felt cool rushing underneath her heated skin. She felt every beat of her heart, every pump of blood as it flowed. She felt her humanity all at once and infinite at the same time. Her body moved of its own will to the rhythm of the song, making itself one with the voice that crooned dark and desperate words. The voice and Laura’s body moved in sync, weaving in and out and creating dazzling patterns.

All too soon the song ended. She bowed jokingly to the roar of the crowd and pulled up another person. It was a female that Laura didn’t recognize, but her presented gender was enough to pull her out of her reverie. She felt the flame from her cheeks plummet to her stomach as Carmilla gave her a hand up the stairs. The girl was all giggles and drunken excitement. And Carmilla ate it up. The girl did not let go of the singer while she addressed the crowd and introduced the next song she would cover: “Sugar, We’re Going Down.”

Everyone around Laura jumped and screamed with excitement at the song choice. Carmilla chuckled and moved away from the girl—Carly? Callie? whatever. She could tell that her drunken act was just that—an act. The girl wouldn’t keep her hands off of her and it was seriously starting to piss Carmilla off.

“If we can get Little Miss Intoxicated over here to stand on her own, we can get this show on the road,” she said into the microphone, shooting the girl a sharp look. The girl stepped back and stumbled before righting herself and smiling at Carmilla. Carmilla nodded at the band and they launched right into it.

Carmilla rocked out hard on her guitar in an effort to keep the overly touchy girl away from her. She danced away from her and towards her band members, giving them a chance to get in the mix of things. When the chorus ended, she moved back to the microphone and moved the guitar to her back. As soon as it was behind her—Cindy? Stacy?—moved closer to her again and started dancing with her. Giving into the feeling of the song, Carmilla started moving her body with the other girl’s. She turned around and started pushing against Carmilla’s body.

Down in the audience, Laura’s eyes glazed over with jealousy. She reached to her side and grabbed Danny’s hand, pulling her closer so they could dance. In hindsight, she never would have done it without the push the jealousy gave her. Danny, clearly thrilled, reacted immediately and moved with Laura.

Getting fed up, Carmilla skipped away from her and grabbed her guitar again. She grabbed the microphone and began singing with a new strength in the anger behind the words. Thankfully, she was able to blast her way through the rest of the song without having to interact with the faker too much more. When the song ended, she sent her on her way quickly.

As the girl fumbled her way down the stairs and through the crowd back to her friends, Laura pulled away from Danny saying, “I need a breather.”

She stood, taking deep breaths and trying to snap out of the rush of emotion that had come over her. Slowly, the body temperature was returning to normal and she noticed the sheen of sweat that was covering her body. She shivered at a sudden breeze and was pulled from her daze when Carmilla called up another member of the audience, a guy this time. He was tall and lanky with long blonde hair that was wilder than the look in Carmilla’s eyes. Carmilla joked with him, calling him Dionysus for his stoner look before launching into a cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Gods and Monsters.”

Laura stopped dancing and watched the performer in her spotlight. She stood mostly still with the microphone stand in one hand and her other draped across the shoulders of the awkward boy with her. It wasn’t as exciting as the previous cover but she was dying to cover it. She inserted some lines of spoken word poetry at the beginning of the song and in between verses of the song, speaking of the sins of gods and titans. Her eyes scanned the crowd unintentionally searching for the honey blonde head.

She finally found her standing next to a giant red head, who was glaring daggers up at the stage. Carmilla rolled her eyes and focused on Laura as she sang:

 _You got that medicine I need_  
_Fame, liquor, love give it to me slowly_  
_Put your hands on my waist, do it softly  
_ _Me and God, we don’t get along so now I sing_

Laura knew Carmilla was directing the verse at her. She was taken aback by the way she sang the words with a softness that was not apparent in her initial flirting. Laura found herself staring back, engaging her in unbreakable eye contact. She could feel Danny moving beside her, trying to get her attention. But she couldn’t look away. She couldn’t blink. She couldn’t breathe. The butterflies in her stomach had stopped from sheer panic and surprise. They were still, as if their immobility would make her invisible, make her drift away from here completely.

At the end of the verse, Carmilla directed her attention back to the kid on stage with her and pulled him in to sing with her.

When the song ended, she launched back into a few original songs. The audience and band were perfectly in rhythm with her. She didn’t bother to stop to talk to them between songs, knowing that the connection was now beyond the power of words.

As she sang a fairly recent song “Temper for Two,” her mind drifted back to Ell and the conversation that was looming over her in the future. She knew Ell wouldn’t care to hear about how much fun she’d had tonight. She would be too focused on her deviation from the original set list. Always on her mother’s side, Ell wanted Carmilla to thrive. Which was nice… But in reality, all Carmilla wanted was her best friend back.

They used to be able to sit in silence together, Carmilla reading or writing while Ell typed up reports for work. Carmilla would drape her legs across Ell’s lap and curl into the couch. She loved the feeling of being close to someone she loved with no pressure. Everywhere she went there was pressure. Everyone she spoke to was expecting something out of her. It was never enough. They always wanted more. There was a time when Ell hadn’t expected more. She’d been content with Carmilla’s company. But as her fame increased, Ell’s ego soared. You’d think she was the one with her face on magazines.

Every so often her eyes went back to Laura quickly and every time she saw Laura looking right back at her. Her eyes held the same intensity they had on stage. Even from a distance, she could feel the warmth in their gaze. Her lips were pulled up at the corner and her cheeks were flushed with a light pink. Carmilla couldn’t help but close her eyes and smile as she kept singing. She knew their moment together should be over. But she didn’t want it to be. A victim to her desires, she knew how she was going to close the concert.

After alternating between original songs and covers for another hour, Carmilla put the microphone back on the stand. She walked back to the rest of the band as the crowd continued to buzz. She ran a hand through her hair, looking down at it in disgust when she saw sweat covering her hand. She wiped her hand on her pants and picked up a water bottle sitting in front of the drum set.

“We winding down?” the pianist asked, cracking her fingers. Carmilla gulped down half of the water bottle before answering. The water drippled down her chin but she ignored it.

“Yeah, I’m thinking one more. I wanna go out with a bang.”

The drummer picked up her head at hearing that. “Whatcha thinking? Gonna pull that blonde back up on stage, you little minx?” She chuckled and winked at Carmilla, who just responded with a smirk before slipping the guitar strap over her head. She put it on an empty stand and turned back towards the front of the stage.

As she reached the mic stand, the audience was starting to chant her name. She laughed and took the microphone off the stand.

“As much as I love hearing people scream my name,” she paused and squinted while she scanned the crowd. Her eyes landed on Laura standing in the same place as before. The redhead’s attention was entirely on the small blonde. But Laura was looking right at Carmilla. Carmilla quirked an eyebrow and said, “I usually prefer it in more intimate settings.”

A shock went through Laura’s body, starting from the end of each limb and ending at her center. A wave of heat fell over her. Her breath caught in her throat and she coughed. A group of guys cheered louder. Laura heard Danny scoff, disgusted at the disrespectful manner of both the singer and the insufferable Zetas.

"Anyway, it's almost time for you rugrats to go to bed." The crowd booed in response. Carmilla raised a hand and said, "Relax, would ya? I was thinking we do one more song to close us out. And how about we bring up everyone who's helped me out tonight?" She chuckled as the screams rang out again.

Laura swallowed and looked at the singer. Carmilla's eyes were locked with hers. Her intent was clear, her desire palpable.

Laura turned to the woman standing next to her. It was clear from first glance that Danny wasn't happy. Her eyebrows were pulled together tightly and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket, stretching the fabric. Laura opened her mouth, wanting to say something to soothe whatever was happening between them, or what wasn't. But nothing came out.

“You better get up there,” Danny muttered, looking down at her feet. Laura stood for a moment longer before nodding and turning towards the stage.

The crowd parted easily for her and she reached the stairs easily. She looked up, expecting to see the singer there to greet her like the last time. To her dismay, the singer was standing in front of the drumset with a water bottle in her hand. Carmilla lifted the bottle to her lips and Laura lost her footing. Her gaze was locked on the contact between Carmilla’s lips and the bottle. Suddenly she found herself wondering what those lips would feel like against her own. She felt a hand reach out and steady her from behind, When she looked back up, she saw Carmilla looking at her with her lips pulled into a smirk. Laura felt her face heat up from embarrassment as she looked down to focus on moving up the last few stairs.

“You alright there, creampuff?” Carmilla called across the stage. She put down her water bottle and sauntered her way over to Laura. “I knew you’d fall for me. I just wasn’t expecting it that soon.” Her smirk was devilish, but the sparkle in her eye sent a shock through Laura’s bloodstream. The singer chuckled and turned back to the audience before speaking into the microphone. She sang softly into the microphone for a moment before the band picked up behind her. The lights on the stage dimmed to a single light shining on Carmilla.

_Take off those heels, lay on my bed_  
_Whisper dirty secrets while I’m pulling on your hair_  
_Poison in our veins but we don’t even care_  
_Candles drippin’ on your body, baby this ain’t truth or dare_  
_Everybody wonders where we’ve run off to_  
_My body on your body, baby stickin’ like some glue_  
_Naughty, let’s get naughty girl, it’s only one or two  
_ _The fever’s fuckin’ runnin’, feel the heat between us two_

The voices of the rest of the band sang in the background quietly, giving the song a softer tone than the original. As the music picked up to bring them into the chorus, Carmilla turned and faced Laura. The other students had started dancing with each other but Laura stood there, mouth hanging open. The singer smirked and began belting, her eyes locked on Laura’s.

_I’m gon’ ride, I’m gon’ ride, I’m gon’ ride_  
_I’m, I’m gon’ ride on you baby, on you lady all night, all night_  
_I’m gon’ take care of your body, I’ll be gentle, don’t you scream_  
_It’s gettin’ hotter, make it softer, feel your chest on top of me_  
_I’m gon’ ride, I’m gon’ ride, I’m gon’ ride_  
_I’m, I’m gon’ ride on you baby, on you lady all night, all night_  
_I’m gon’ make you feel that lovin’, gettin’ weak all in your knees  
_ _Kiss your body from the tip-top all the way down to your feet_

Her voice lowered into a whisper as she sang. She slowly moved towards Laura and held her hand out to her. Laura’s body felt like an active electrical field. Each cell was sizzling and crackling under the gaze of the brunette. She stepped forward to meet Carmilla and placed her hand in the singer’s. Their hands clasped together and Carmilla pulled Laura against her. Their fingers were interlocked, the chests flush against each other. Laura could feel the heat of the singer through their clothes. Each breath Carmilla took sent a chill up her spine.

She paused for a breath before moving onto the next verse. She released Laura’s hand from her grasp, her fingers sliding up the blonde’s arm. She left a trail of light touches over the girl’s skin, leaving goosebumps as she passed. Her hand stopped at the small of Laura’s back and she leaned forward, causing Laura to lean back against her hand as she sang:

_Lay on your back, like you’re right there_  
_Don’t have to say it twice, love, there’s nothing here to fear_  
_Takin’ it back, back to where it’s clear  
_ _Rollin’ on and on, sounds of love are in the air_

At the end of the verse, she pulled Laura up against her. Laura’s breath was coming to her sporadically in a rush. Their bodies started moving together to the rhythm of the song. Their eyes were locked together in a battle of desire. Carmilla held Laura’s hand as they danced. Between the skin-on-skin contact and their locked eyes, Laura felt lost. She couldn’t feel anything but Carmilla’s chest as she breathed. Her feet left the ground. Together they swirled and danced.

_The sun’s comin’ up, you’re on my side_  
_I rub your thigh, you look in my eyes_  
_And I see the sky, I’m so high  
_ _And I ain’t smoked yet, I’m just coming down from this_

_I’m gon’ ride, I’m gon’ ride, I’m gon’ ride_  
_I’m, I’m gon’ ride on you baby, on you lady all night, all night_  
_I’m gon’ take care of your body, I’ll be gentle, don’t you scream_  
_It’s gettin’ hotter, make it softer, feel your chest on top of me_  
_I’m gon’ ride, I’m gon’ ride, I’m gon’ ride_  
_I’m, I’m gon’ ride on you baby, on you lady all night, all night_  
_I’m gon’ make you feel that lovin’, gettin’ weak all in your knees  
_ _Kiss your body from the tip-top all the way down to your feet_

The music slowed to a close but Carmilla did not look up from Laura’s face. She could hear a dull roar of the crowd cheering her name. She knew she should let go of Laura. The image that this started as was changing into something too entirely heartfelt. She knew if she didn’t let go soon, she would be hearing about it from Will and her mother for a long time.

Reluctantly, she took a step away from Laura. Still holding her hand, she turned to the audience and said, “Thank you. Good luck in your freshman year. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” With a wink, she put the mic back in the stand. She gave Laura’s hand a firm squeeze before turning and walking off the stage. Laura stood there, eyes still staring where Carmilla had been only moments before. She blinked and flicked her hair off of her face. She took a breath and turned to head down the stairs to find Betty. Her breath was still shaky, but she pushed forward, eager to get out of the attention of her new classmates.

* * *

 

Betty was sprawled on her bed, laying on top of her cheetah print comforter when Laura crawled into bed. She put her headphones in her ears and fiddled with a device until the song started up in the middle. The singer’s voice was prettier than the woman who had sung to her earlier in the night, more flowery but nowhere near as powerful. Laura closed her eyes and let the music wash over her.

_No one’s gonna take my soul away_  
_I’m living like Jim Morrison_  
_Headed towards a fucked up holiday_  
_Motel sprees, sprees_  
_And I’m singing_  
_Fuck yeah give it to me, this is Heaven, what I truly want  
_ _Is innocence lost, innocence lost_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My classes this semester are a lot more than I was expecting. So I'm going to set my updates as every other weekend. If I churn out chapters faster, I'll post them as soon as I finish.


End file.
